Combined stalk-cutter and cart.



AIILIOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

awuemtoz Patented Feb. 8, 1910. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. T. GRAVES.

- COMBINED STALK CUTTER AND CART.

' 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909. 948,854. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suva/Mon awn nu JAMES THOMAS eRAvEs, 0F witsoiv, NORTH CAROLINA.

COMBINED STALK-CUTTER AND CART.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES T. GRAVES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilson, in the county of \Vilson and State of NorthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedStalk-Cutters and Carts, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements 1n combined stalk cutters and cart.

The object of my invention is to provide a cart which can be readilyconverted into a stalk cutter and thus combining a cart and cutter intoa single implement.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more simple, cheap andeffective cart of this character.

In the accompanying drawings-l* igure 1 is a perspective view lookingfrom underneath when used as a stalk cutter. Fig. 2 is an end view ofFig. 1 showing the wheels applied when used as a cart. Fig. 3 is anenlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the cutters showingitapplied to the spindle of the cart. Fig. +1: is an enlarged end viewof the cutter.

Trucks of this character are used for conveying the cotton or tobaccofrom the field to the storing sheds, and by my arrangement of theseveral parts it will be seen that the cutters can be applied and theone implement serve the two purposes.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the body or platform of myimproved combined implement and which, if desired, may be provided withthe removable sides 2, whereby it is converted into a wagon-body or a.flat truck. The body portion is provided with a pole 3 by means of whichthe cart is drawn. The detail structure of this body, etc, need not befurther described, but it is built principally for lightness to lightenthe draft of the vehicle when used as a cart when drawing it over aplowed field in collecting the tobacco. Secured to the bottom of themain body 1, are the metal straps or brackets 4, two in number, andwhich extend downwardly and to which are secured the axle 5. The strapsor brackets, as shown, are V-shaped and have their outer ends turnedoutwardly as indicated .at 6, and by means of which the straps arerigidly secured to the main body or platform. The axle 5 is rigidlysecured to the lower end of the straps, as shown, and thus Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed June 21, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 19.10.

Serial No. 503.415.

the axle is held against rotation. The axle 5 may be made of any desiredlength, but it is preferably of a length to straddle one row of stalksand the outer ends or spindles 7 being directly over the rows on eachside, whereby as shown the device when used a cutter is adapted to outthree rows of stalks. lVhile I have shown and described the axle of alength so that it straddles one and the spindles are above the twoadjoinlng rows it will be understood that the axle can be of a length sothat it will simply reach between two rows and with the spindle directlyabove the said two rows of stalks.

Mounted upon the spindles T are the wheels 8 and 9 held thereon by nuts10 in the usual manner, all of which needs no further description, andwhen the wheels are on the spindles the implementis adapted to be usedas a cart for the purposes set forth or for any other purpose which alight cart is used. Carts of this character are used in the cotton ortobacco fields as they can be more readily turned and are lighter.

Between straps or brackets 4' and mounted upon the axle 5 is a rotarycentral cutter 11. which is free to rotate upon the axle and held uponthe axle against longitudinal movement in any desired manner. The saidcutter is of a diameter considerably less than that of the wheels 8 and9 and whereby it is supported far above the ground when used as a cartas shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

lVhen it is desired to use the cart as a cutter the wheels 8 and 9 areremoved and the two cutters 12 and 13 are placed thereon. These cuttersare constructed with a hub H having a bore 15 therethrough of the sameshape as the bore of the hub-boxing, and said hub 14 fits thereon andfreely rotates. The said hub is held thereon by the same nuts 10 thathold the wheels on the axle and whereby the wheels and the cutters arereadily interchangeable. The hub is preferably of cast metal and havingcast integral therewith the outwardly extending arms 16, which areprovided with openings at their outer ends. The hub 14 is of anelongated form, as shown in Fig. 3, and is provided at each end with thearms 16 which are oppositely arranged. The arms are seven in number ateach end of the hub and secured to the outer ends of these arms are thecutter blades 17, which are of elongated form and each blade is securedto an arm carried by opposite ends of the hub, as shown in Fig. 3. Thesecutters are preferably secured to the arms by the bolts 18 passingthrough the arms and the blades and having the nuts 19 thereon wherebythe blades may be readily removed when de sired.

The axle 5 is seven feet six inches from the center of one spindle tothe center of the other spindle, and the hubs mounted on the spindle.The blades 17, as shown, extend equal distances on the inside andoutside of the hub and as the distance apart of every third row ofstalks is seven feet, it will be seen that the blades 17 will cut thestalks. The blades as shown in Fig. 3 extend a considerable distancebeyond the inner and outer ends of the hubs and the blades will extendsome distance on each side of the stalk rows and thus will provide for avariation in the width of the rows. The outside cutters extend inwardlyadjacent the brackets and leaving only space enough on the outside ofthe bracket to allow the free rotation of the cutter.

The axle between the brackets a is provided with a bearing portion uponwhich is mounted the hub 20 of the center cutter 11. This cutter isconstructed the same as the end cutter except that the hub has astraight bore and the blades 22 are considerably longer than the endblades. These center blades 22 extend outwardly to the braces 1 andhaving only space enough to allow for the free rotation of the cutter.By this arrangement of the cutters it will be seen that the cuttersextend practically across the entire device and not only cut the stalksbut also chop the ground and places it in condition for sowing a crop ofgrass, or cow peas thereon and also cuts all the weeds and grass frombetween the rows. The blades each have two cutting edges 23 and 24,whereby they may be reversed so as to bring either of the cutting edgesinto action by removing the bolts 18.

The blades are seven in number or the same in number as the arms, and byplacing these blades close together the stalks will be more readily outwithout missing any of them and also absolutely cause the rotation ofthe hub by the engagement of the blades with the ground. lVhile greateror fewer knives could be used, it has been found that the number showngives the best results.

The pole 8, as shown, is secured to the underside of the platform 1, andthe swingletrees 25 and 26 are attached to the platform. While I haveshown and described a pole, it will be understood that shafts could beattached when it is desired to use a single horse without changes of theother part of the device.

While I have shown and described my device as being used for a three rowstalk cutter, it will be understood that the axle can be shortened andthe device used for cutting two rows of stalks. In this eventdhe centercutter could be omitted or used as described, but in each event thecutter or the blades of the cutters would have to be shortened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A combined cart and stalk cutter, comprising a body-portion, an axlecarried thereby and having spindles at its outer ends, and adapted toreceive either the cutters or wheels and a rotatable cutter mounted uponthe axle intermediate the spindles.

2. A combined cart and stalk cutter, comprising a body portion,downwardly extending brackets carried by the body-portion, an axlesecured to said brackets, and having the usual spindles at its outerends, and adapted to receive either cutters or wheels, and a rotarycutter mounted upon the axle between the brackets.

3. A combined cart and stalk cutter, comprising a body-portion,downwardly extending brackets carried by the bottom, a cutter mountedupon the axle between said brackets, and spindles carried by the outerends of the axle, and cutters adapted to fit said spindles and removablyheld thereon.

a. A stalk cutter, comprising a body-portion, an axle carried thereby, acutter carried by the axle intermediate its ends, the outer ends of theaxle having spindles, cutters comprising a hub portion adapted to fitthe spindle, nuts holding the hubs thereon in the usual manner, integralradial arms carried by the hubs at each end, and cutterblades bolted tothe outer ends of the arms and extending a considerable distance beyondthe inner and outer ends of the hubs, said cutter blades having innerand outer cutting edges whereby the blades may be reversed.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES THOMAS GRAVES.

Witnesses V. G. LUCAS, R. S. BARRUS.

